


Another Day to Follow

by QueenEgg



Series: The Princess' Gift [6]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff without Plot, misc. characters - Freeform, most canon characters will show up at some point probably, these are basically all sweetness bc for once i dont feel the urge to Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-14 04:19:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18045344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenEgg/pseuds/QueenEgg
Summary: She blinked up at him. “I don’t get it.”“Perhaps you will when you’re older,” he teased, the amusement in his chest threatening to spill out as he watched her nod along automatically before she stiffened, sitting up straight and shooting him a glare.“Wait- I’m older than you,” she said, as though surprised by the fact.Turning away from her, Lurien covered up his smile with a hand.-A collection of related-but-not-connected one-offs in The Princess' Gift AU





	1. Meeting the Grandparent

**Author's Note:**

> So most if not all these snippets will take place after The Sixteen Years because ?? Yeah! its the easiest thing for me to do considering all of them have been answers to asks so far :'D

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Perhaps Lurien might one day convince Hornet to come with him to visit the moths, at least just to see Seer._ -anon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Original Post](http://raerengue.tumblr.com/post/183081447856/perhaps-lurien-might-one-day-convince-hornet-to)

He’d been planning this visit for months. That thought was at the forefront of her mind as she sat beside her husband atop the stag they were riding. The Resting Grounds were by no means far from the City of Tears- quite the opposite, in fact. Only a quick elevator ride from the city’s eastern-side would’ve taken them there, but Lurien insisted they take the more direct route.

She hoped the rest of his kin would find her acceptable, but at the same time, she’d never admit her hesitance in returning with him to his original home. As soon as the stag halted at the station, she tried to stifle the nervousness building in her chest.

When she next looked up, Lurien’s hand was held out to her, and Hornet took it as she stepped down from the stag’s back. For once, she let him lead her, their steps taking them both up and around, past a few congregations of moths who shot them both surprised looks and smiles.

“Hornet?” she didn’t realize she’d stopped moving until he was pulling her towards him, her eyes moving away from the others to focus on her husband. Did he know how endearing he looked? For once, he’d left his mask at the Spire, his face laid bare for the special occasion. “Is something wrong?”

The way his expression shifted to worry was sweet, his concern for her always present in even the smallest of things. Hornet wanted to kiss him.

Instead, she waved him off, reassuring him that she was alright before letting him guide her away to a den above the main hub of the Resting Grounds. The moment they step inside, Lurien let out a soft laugh.

“Nana- Nana Seer, I finally brought her with me-” he started, and at the opposite end of the room, a pair of bright purple eyes focused on Hornet with startling intensity.

“Oh! So, I am finally graced by the Princess of Two Kingdoms! Hello dear, it’s good to see you.” The older moth inched forward towards them, and Lurien practically threw himself to the ground, folding his legs beneath himself and excitedly patting the space beside him. Hornet settled herself down at his side with slightly more composure, bowing her head.

“Thank you for having us, ma’am,” Hornet mumbled out, unsure of how to proceed, but the sudden high chirps that came from the other two startled her out of her reservedness.  _ “What-?” _

“The Princess is thanking me for letting her into my home…” The Seer chittered amusedly. “But, you are very welcome anyway. We’ve been missing him,” she said, a hand coming up to Lurien’s shoulder. The warmth in his gaze made Hornet’s heart skip.

“Well, he wanted to visit, and I wanted to come with him,” she admitted, her hands shaking slightly in her lap before her husband-  _ her husband! _ -moved to cover them with one of his own, his head resting on her shoulder.

At the sight of them together, the Seer narrowed her eyes into a smile, her wings fluttering.

“And so you have. How admirable,” she hummed out, before clasping her hands together. “It is unfortunate that our time together is so limited, but before you depart from our grounds, I absolutely  _ must _ show you the self-portraits Lurien painted of himself when he was a child! They’re still here, somewhere.”

Lurien let out a shocked cry in response, and Hornet couldn’t help but giggle at his expense.

_ “Nana-!” _


	2. Lost Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Hornet could ask Lurien about his missing right eye, gently touching, stroking, and brushing her hand over the spot while he explains._ -anon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Original Post](http://raerengue.tumblr.com/post/183084252896/hornet-could-ask-lurien-about-his-missing-right)

Hornet’s hands were gentle as they skimmed his cheek. Soft down brushed against her fingertips, and her husband leaned into her touch even as her thumb strayed just shy of the ragged section of his face where his other eye should’ve been.

“Does it hurt?” the question fell out of her mouth unceremoniously and Hornet wanted to jolt away, but to do so would be admission to a fault. Yet, despite the sudden anxiety over his reaction, he looked at her as though surprised it’d taken her as long to ask.

“No,” he said, shaking his head slightly. His movement was limited, held tightly against her chest as he was. “Why?” Hornet stilled at that.

His missing eye had never been a focus for her despite everything, it was simply a fact- a truth about Lurien’s existence that, ultimately, had little to do with her connection to him.

“I don’t know, curiosity perhaps? I’d heard of what happened to you but I never-” She pauseed her words the moment she felt him begin to tremble.

“You- you heard of it?” he asks, his voice quivering.  _ “When?” _

Glancing down at him, she noted how his eye was squeezed shut, distress painting his features as he gripped her cloak.

 

* * *

_ “Queen Herrah, we’re afraid there’s been an… incident with the Princess’ betrothed…”  _

_ Hornet barely paid attention to royal matters as it were, but she was forced to be aware of things like this, things that affected her directly. _

_ “A problem with his moult… yes, it’s gone completely… alive …” the retainer’s voice drifted in and out of focus as she toyed with the hem of her cloak, only looking up when her mother directed her to. _

_ “Hornet… the suitor you chose, something has happened to him. He’s alive, but his eye-” Herrah began, only for Hornet to glance away.  _

_ “If he’s still alive then it doesn’t matter,” she said with complete disinterest. Her mother and the retainer looked at each other in silent conversation before the attendant mumbled out something about sending her future husband’s family a formal apology for what he’d endured.  _

* * *

 

“I- I’m sorry, Lurien, I wasn’t thinking back then-” the words left her in a rush, but before she could continue he was already leaning up to wrap his arms around her, leaving her to settle both hands on his waist.

“Thank you… for not changing for mind,” he whispered out, and Hornet shook in his hold.

“I wouldn’t have- no, never,” she said softly, pressing her cheek against the top of his head. “You aren’t upset?”

His periwinkle eye blinked up at her. “No, I’m not. But, if you want to make it up to me…” the implication of his words hung in the air and Hornet took a moment to steady her breathing before leaning over him and peppering his face with kisses.

“Anything for you, love.”


	3. Taken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _What if Hornet had to save her husband from a kidnapping?_ -anon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Original Post](http://raerengue.tumblr.com/post/183127880776/what-if-hornet-had-to-save-her-husband-from-a)

Hornet had been married to Lurien for long enough that by the time she finally caught up to those who would attempt to steal him away from her, he only seems mildly surprised to see her appear, as if he hadn’t been expecting her to take so long in retrieving him. Later on, she’d make up everything to him- her inattentiveness being the fault behind such an event.

Her cloak billowed in the wind, and the entourage of bugs surrounding her husband were doing a terrible job of hiding how terrified they were to see her. Narrowing her eyes, she noted how they lacked weapons, which would mean this would be all the easier for her.

The moment she caught sight of the crack in Lurien’s mask, however-

“Hornet-!” His voice broke her out of her darkening thoughts, and in the blink of an eye her thread was whipping about the offenders, her magic honed with the precision of a trained warrior- which she was. In only a second, the would-be kidnappers were held securely in her webbing while she made quick work of Lurien’s bindings.

“Are you okay? Did they hurt you? If there’s so much as a scale out of place I’ll- Your  _ mask-” _ her hiss of rage was barely calmed by his hand on her cheek, and Hornet’s heart leaped when he rose up on unsteady legs to lean against her.

“I’m- I’m alright, love. They dropped me once or twice, that’s all, no serious harm done,” he mumbled into her shoulder and Hornet thought for a moment about how her needle was only clean because of how calm he was. Should he have panicked in front of her before- “Don’t- don’t do anything rash- throw them out of the Kingdom if you must, but-” Settling her hand around his waist, she nodded. 

“I’m not letting you go back on your own, but I can’t leave them-” she gestured to the incapacitated bugs behind her, “-alone. So, I suppose they’ll just have to come with us.”

With one of his hands over hers, the two of them slowly made their way back towards the City, and when Hornet mumbled, “Once we’re home, I’ll let my mother deal with them,” she thought she might have heard one of them begin to cry.


	4. First Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lurien and Hornet share the first of many smooches to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Original Post](http://raerengue.tumblr.com/post/183039222556/the-kiss-was-unlike-anything-he-ever-expected-from)

At some point, perhaps the assumption that Hornet didn’t want anything to do with him had to be tested. They’d grown closer over time, of course, but never to the point of intimacy expected from most couples. That was to say...

The first time she kissed him was unlike anything he ever expected from Hornet. Soft, tender,  _ slow- _

It was so completely unlike her that he actually found himself drawing back almost as soon as she’d initiated it, surprise painting his features as she gave him a bewildered look.

“Why did you pull away?” she asked, and he hated how uncertain she sounded in the moment. “Did- did I do something wrong? Did you hate it?” 

Lurien blinked. “No.”

At this, Hornet narrowed her eyes. “Then  _ why-?” _ He caught her hand in one of his own and gave it a squeeze before she could finish.

“I was just… I didn’t think you would kiss like that,” he admitted, the warmth racing up his neck made the hairs on his shell stand on end. “It wasn’t unpleasant, though.”

“Not unpleasant doesn’t mean it was  _ good, _ Lurien.”

“Well, I enjoyed it,” he mumbled, before looking back up at her, wide eyed and flushed. “And, I wouldn’t mind it if you…” Her hand was against his cheek halfway through, and his words melted into silence as she guided him into another kiss.

It was soft, tender, slow-  _ perfect. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh yeah, some of these might have images attached to them if i do those


	5. Lurien's Library

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Cute moment: Lurien introduces Hornet to his vast collection of reading material in the Spire, prompting her to spot some past favorites of hers or even find new favorites to read if she hasn't already. By the time Lurien sees her reading, it's demandingly difficult for him to get her attention._ -anon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Original Post](http://raerengue.tumblr.com/post/183318689841/cute-moment-lurien-introduces-hornet-to-his-vast)

“You know, you’ve got quite an extensive collection here.” Lurien blinked before looking up at his wife, noting how her hands were hovering over the shelves where he’d stored all the writing he’d purchased off other bugs over the years.

Pushing his work to the side, he stood and moved next to her, watching as her gaze darted over the tomes- some of them parchment, most etched in stone, and even a few in traditional spider knots and braids. “Yes- it’s one of the things I’m most proud of,” he beamed, selecting one at random. He knew the contents of each by heart. “Travelers often have interesting stories to tell, and if they write them down, sometimes I’m lucky enough to be able to obtain a record of their experiences.”

The pride in his voice isn’t a familiar one, and Hornet teasingly nudged him with her elbow as she stole the stone tablet from his hands. “Perhaps you’ll write one of your own someday?” Lurien couldn’t lie about how exciting the prospect was for him so instead he nodded along before sitting back at his desk.

“I think they’re all very neat- compelling in their own ways, but let me know if you find one too difficult for you to r-” glancing back at her, he noted how engrossed she seemed in the one she’d taken from him. Sighing good-naturedly, he returned to focus on his work.

 

Time seemed to flow through his hands more easily when he was thoroughly engrossed in his duties. Being the Keeper of the Spire was by no means a highly taxing job, and he did enjoy it, but even Lurien found it disconcerting when he sat down to finish a few reports only to look up and realize that his timepiece said it was well past evening.

Stretching, he extinguished the candle beside his desk despite the wax being almost gone, and stood. “Hornet-?” Lurien began, before finding himself speechless at the sight before him.

His wife was lying on the floor surrounded by his books, some of them scattered around her while she held up a stack parchment in her hands- the pages held together by finely stitched silk.

“Lurien- Lurien what does this mean?” she asked, as though she hadn’t been burning through his collection for hours. Stifling a laugh, he moved to kneel down next to her, looking closely at the group of words she was pointing at.

“...and the sensation was something like a-” Lurien cut himself off with a laugh, though another slipped through before he could pluck the book out of Hornet’s grip. “It’s- it’s a joke, love.”

She blinked up at him. “I don’t get it.”

“Perhaps you will when you’re older,” he teased, the amusement in his chest threatening to spill out as he watched her nod along automatically before she stiffened, sitting up straight and shooting him a glare.

“Wait- I’m older than you,” she said, as though surprised by the fact.

Turning away from her, Lurien covered up his smile with a hand. “Aren’t you?” He barely managed to catch the second book Hornet threw in his direction. “Hey-! Be careful with these, they’re one of a kind!”

As soon as he re-shelved the one she’d tossed at him, he turned back towards her only to find himself being pulled down by his cloak, Hornet leaning up to draw him into a kiss. Sighing against her mouth, he slid to the floor and held in a noise of delight when she moved to rest her head against his shoulder. “Read to me...?” she asked, the slightest hint of hesitance in her voice.

Rubbing his cheek against her crest, he found his place amongst the pages in his hands. “Why, I’d love to.”


	6. Hunter Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _You think Lurien may have accidentally swatted Hornet in the eye with one of his antennae at least once whenever she stood behind him?_ \- anon  
>  _Would Hornet take Lurien out on a hunting trip? (with him watching her do the hunting, of course...)_ \- anon  
>  _Lurinet idea: Hornet briefly tries teaching Lurien some basic self defense techniques, so she has him practice with her needle. How well he holds it, let alone swings it, is a mystery..._ \- anon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Original Post](http://raerengue.tumblr.com/post/183644332096/warning-for-mild-violence-against-carver-hatchers)  
> didn't know how to make each one of these its own individual thing so i just kinda, smooshed em all together into one. Also ik the last anon asked for Lurien to use Hornet's needle,, but let's be realistic,,, our boy could never even wield up a Toothpick.
> 
> Warning for mild violence against carver hatchers

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she’d asked him as much several times over the past few minutes since they’d departed from the Distant Village to the spider hunting grounds. Hornet had her needle sheathed while she held a shellwood nail at her side- a training weapon for Lurien to use even though she’d tried to dissuade him from such a thing already. “I won’t think any less of you for changing your mind,” she insisted, only for her husband to simply shake his head.

“You said you’d make an attempt to teach me, so it would be rude, if I decided to decline your offer now,” he said, a slight bounce in his step even as they both hopped over pits of spiked worms that tried to snap at their heels. “That isn’t to say I’ll want to try again should I do badly, however. I only knew two moths out of my whole tribe who managed to wield a weapon successfully and they were both much larger than myself.”

As they stepped into the next clearing, Hornet sighed as she watched him anxiously rub his claws together in anticipation. “Oh, Lurien...” If he wouldn’t change his mind though-

“Here,” she said, holding the shellwood nail out towards him, hilt first. As soon as she was sure he had a tight grip on it, she let go and watched Lurien struggle to hold it up. “Come on... if you can’t manage to lift that, how will you handle a weapon made of metal like mine?” Hornet unsheathed her needle and held it aloft. Even now she sometimes found herself marveling at its construction- Lurien had chosen the gift well.

Across from her, he finally managed to raise the training nail up, both his hands clutching the hilt in a vice grip. “It’s fine, dearest-” he said, huffing softly, “so, are you going to show me how to use this thing?”

Ignoring the urge to laugh at his false confidence, Hornet set her needle down and moved to stand behind him, her hands settling around his wrists as she attempted to correct his stance. “Well, for starters, your legs are too far apart, bring them closer together. You’re taller than most bugs so you shouldn’t leave so many openings for others to knock you over-” she tapped his hip with her own and got a face full of soft, fluffy antennae in response. Sputtering, she backed away. “Lurien-”

“Yes, yes-! I’ve got it, thank you,” he exclaimed, raising the training nail over his head before almost immediately pitching backwards with a sharp cry. “Wait- no! _Hornet!”_

Not coming apart with giggles at her husband’s distress was, quite possibly the hardest thing Hornet had ever done. However, keeping him from falling was a simple act- the nail dropping to the ground as she caught Lurien in a dip before pulling him back against her chest as she stood. “I really don’t believe you have it, actually. I can’t see you in combat, Lurien, I truly can’t,” she said, as gently as she could.

Thankfully, the sigh that escaped him was one of acceptance, not disappointment.

“You’re- you’re right,” he admitted, his second pair of limbs wrapping around his midsection. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I thought I could-” Hornet interrupted him with a reassuring kiss atop his head.

“There now, it’s alright. Your value isn’t in your strength, it’s in that perceptive mind of yours,” she hummed out, lightly nuzzling him as he reached out for her again, letting her wrap him up in a brief hug. “This trip doesn’t have to be a loss, though. In fact, I believe we can still do something else.”

 

-

 

Some time later found them both perched in a hidden alcove above a currently vacant construction site, the materials for building trams strewn about while dirtcarvers swarmed below, their fangs gnawing on the metal while others hissed and scrounged the area in search of food. Behind an outcropping of rocks, Hornet and Lurien watched them scuttle over each other.

“So, my father- oh stop that look, Lurien, you know I care not for his demands either,” she whispered, watching him roll his eye before he settled his gaze back on her, “he mentioned building a tram that would lead to the village, but before his workers could properly set up the construction site, they disturbed a carver nest and now this place is infested with them. I was wondering if, perhaps, you knew of a way to get them to disperse?” The question hung in the air for a moment while Hornet watched her husband give her a glance filled with exasperation before turning to look at the writhing mass of pests.

“They seem hungry... is this the only entrance?” he asked, nervously picking at the rocks sheltering them from view.

“I believe so. Don’t worry so much, the walls are too steep for the carvers to make it up to us,” she responded, even as he leaned against her shoulder, cowering behind her slightly.

“Those could reach us,” he said, pointing at the cylindrical flying creatures who periodically hacked up a fully formed carver to join the ever-growing mass below. “Foul things... They’re probably the only reason why there are so many carvers in these tunnels. With the hatchers gone, the rest would starve, or perhaps destroy each other.”

Glaring at the sight of them, Hornet stopped herself before her mind could make an attempt at rationalizing how the hatchers procreated. Instead, she leaned forward and raised her needle. “There’s only a few.. If I can kill them-” Lurien’s hissed _‘Hornet wait no-’_ was drowned out by the scream one of the hatchers let out the instant her blade pierced its side, spearing it clean through before she pulled back sharply on the connected thread. The hilt flew back into her hand as the creature fell to the ground dead- the carvers below swarming it.

In response, it’s still flying brethren turned in their direction and let out matching shrieks of anger.

 _“Hornet!”_ The panic in his voice was palpable.

“It’s _fine,_ Lurien!” Her needle was already cleaving through another one before he’d finished screaming at her. Each subsequent throw cleared the cavern a bit more until only one horrible, retching hatcher remained. It spat out hissing offspring in their direction- the unlucky carvers falling short and joining the ones in the pit below -before hurling itself towards them both. Holding up her blade, Lurien winced as the flying vermin was sliced into two, the halves of its body dropping into the alcove while sticky purple blood splattered across their robes.

“Ah.... _ah-”_ Hornet glanced back at her spouse and watched him heave into his hands.

Flicking the blood off her needle before sheathing it, she knelt at his side. “Lurien-? You aren’t hurt are you?”

“No, no, dearest, just.. just a little-” he gagged briefly then stood, covering his eye as he searched blindly for the gap in the cave walls they’d entered from. “I’m ill, I feel ill, can we depart now?” Hornet wanted to laugh at the piteous noise he made when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, guiding him out out the room.

“Yes, of course, love. You get a head start. The carvers are vermin, but the hatchers-” she hummed lowly as she unspooled some thread from her line and moved back to tie up the dead hatcher’s wings. “Well, they’ll make a nice enough accompaniment for dinner.”

Lurien’s tight swallow was audible even to her, and he pointedly kept his gaze turned away from the halves of the corpse she dragged behind her as he walked slightly in front.

“Just, please don’t ask me to eat any of it,” he mumbled, and Hornet let out an amused chitter.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

**Author's Note:**

> if you wanna see more content like this then feel free to [send me an ask on my tumblr!](eggroyalty.tumblr.com/scream)


End file.
